Folding standard



G. K. PARSONS 2,005,002

FOLDING STANDARD June 18, 1935.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 25, 1932 INVENTOR BY 7 m 5% ATTORNEY June 18, 1935. G. K. PARSONS FOLDING STANDARD Filed Feb. 23, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 "ZZZ-:11,

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Patented June 18, 1935 FOLDING STANDARD George KfParsonspDetroit, Mich, assignor to tion of Michigan Unitor Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corpora- Application February 23, 1932, Serial N6. 594,680 7 Claims. (01'. 248-13) This invention relates to supporting: standards or mounting means, and particularly to a foldable support especially suitable. for use in conjunc- .tion' with devices-used in kitchens of households, to adapt the same to be swung beneath a sink orv table.'- The invention constitutes an improve-& ment upon'that disclosed in my copending appli cation Serial Number-530,1l6, filed April 14, 1931,

. .now Patent No. 1,970,814, dated August-21, I934,

and-is particularly intended for use as a foldable support for a household machine of the type dis-" closed in my copending application, Serial Number 530,117, filed April 14, 1931, or the type disclosed in my copending-application, Serial Number 594,679, filed February-23, 1932. The invention has for an important object provision of a foldable standard adapted to rigidly support the machine or other loadcarried thereby in up'right or elevated position in front'of a sink, for ex-; ample, thus positioning it conveniently when it is' desiredto use the machine or other device, yet which permits folding a machine away in such, manner that it, lies completely beneath the sink andout of the Way when not in use.

Another object of the invention is the arrangement of improved controlling means-for locking and releasing the machine with respect to swing-'-- ing; movements about vertical and; horizontal axes, which controlling means is so'arranged as to render it impossible to swing the machine about the vertical axis while standing upright, although it may be easily released to'permit such swinging when it 'has been folded'over toreduce its overall 3,5 height," therebypreventing swinging the machine intocontact with the sink, or' other elevated. adjunctbeneath which it folds. f A still further object of the invention lies in the provision of novel and simple latching means fo'r'selectively preventing or permitting swinging movement of the machine about vertical and horizontal axes, and controlling means for such latching-mechanism comprising a single lever movable inonedirection to control a latchgovemin'g horizontal swinging of the machine, and

in another direction to control a latch governing vertical swinging movement of the machine.

e A still further object consists in the provision, in'sucha-foldable supporting standard, of improved -meansfor conducting suitable electric wiring to a machine supported thereby.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings illustrating'a-preferredembodiment ofmy invention, and

wherein similar reference numerals design-dimev similar figures throughout the several views;

In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows in side elevation a dishwashing plated by my present invention;

Figure 2 isavertical sectional view taken substantially centrally through my improved support; a s

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of such .a machine mounted uponmy improved standard, showing the machineffolded downwardly about; the horizontal axis and ready for swinging about the verticalaxis toqthe; stored position beneath thesink;.- 1 q V Figure 4 is a top *view'showing a sink in plan and the machine mounted upon my improved standard and substantially in the same position in which it is shown inelevational Figure 3, showing alsothe manner of swinging the same beneath the sink andindicating: in dotted lines its position when folded therebeneath;

Figure 5 isadetail vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5 01 Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows; v

Figure dis a detail ,elevational View showing the interiorof thebox which serves to house the counterbalance spring and latch mechanism as well as the electrical fuses, taken looking substantially asindicated by the arrow- 6 of Figure 2, but with the coverplate removed; Figure! is aplanqview of the base portion of the'standard, and I I Figurer8 isa detail; section taken substantially on the line 8-8- oiFigure 7, andlooking in the direction of the arrows. 1 I c I Referring now, to the drawings, reference character'30 indicatesa; supporting base, the contour of which is. best shown in Figure 7. 'As there shown the base isprovided Iwith X-shaped apertures 30', through which at suitable points securing bolts or screws adapted to'fasten the device to. thevfloor may be passed, being adjustable in the irregular" apertures to provide means insuring their'engaging beams or othersolid portions of the floor..' The apertures 30" may be closed by suitable caps'3ll As shown in Figure'2 the base may be of hollow construction and provided at--its forward ex tremity with anxupstanding apertured boss42, inwhich is rigidly secured the tubular vertical shaft 29,4whichrises therefrom and swingably supports the standard 28, between which and the shaft a suitable combined bearing and cushion for absorbing vibration, the-central member of which as 60, comprises a rubber disc, may be interposed. The standard 28 is provided with horizontal supporting bearing portions 28'-28 for the tubular shaft 21, which is journaled therein and which directly supports the machine itself through its sub-base 20. The machine is generally designated IS. The laterally spaced'bearing portion 38 is braced by the web 36, and direct: 1y above the vertical supporting rod or shaft 29 a substantially cylindrical box 33 is formed'imthe standard, into which the end of the shaft 21 projects. rigidly secured to the shaft 21 as by means of the set screw 3|. The sub-base is provided with three shaft-engaging portlons"2ll', 20 20 "the former of which, as shown in Figure 2,; fits be -1 tween the bearing portions 28' -38;of the supporting standard. The shaft-engaging portions 2o'28 'of the sub-base are equally spaced from the centrally disposed shaft-engaging portion 23 thereby making it possible to reverse-the entire machine and sub-base with respect to the shaft and standard, by placing the shaft-engag-' ing-portion 20 in the position shown occupied by the shaft-engagingportion 20' of the "sub-base and vice versa, thereby turning the machine through one hundred eighty degrees about a vertical axis with respect to the standard; When arranged as shown, the machine is adaptedto swing to the left, asviewed in Figure 3, to enable the same to be folded down to such height that it may easily be swung beneath the's'ink or drain-' board.

The weight of the machine "is counter-balanced by, the torsion spring 32, the inner extremity 32 of which is hooked in the slot 21 in the shaft 21, as shown in'Figure '5. As also therein shown the outer extremity of the spring is fixed by an adjustable tension screw 34 pass- I ing through an apertureGI in the housing and held by the adjusting nut 35. When the entire machine and sub-base are reversed upon the horizontal shaft 21 in the manner above described, the machine becomes swingable in the opposite direction (to the right. as viewed in Fig- 7 ure 3),and the spring 32 is then reversed'with respect to the position in which it'is shown in Figure 5, the bolt 34 being passed through the oppositely located aperture 6| provided for such purpose and extending throughthe w'all'of the housing 33. A limiting stop -l5l which prevents downward swinging of themachine in the wrong The slots are here shown so located as to hold' the'machine in the fully outwardly and fully inwardly swung positions, although. they might also be arranged to detain a helddevice in desired intermediate positions. Theplunger 40 is urged downwardly into the slots 43, when alignedtherewith, by the compression spring 40' trapped behind the plunger and supplementing the force of gravity. From the plungento which.

The sub-base 2110f the machine lfyis the sinko r drainboard, since it is pivotally connected, a link 48 extends upwardly through theaperture 48 -in the standard 28 and the housing 33 to the bifurcated lever 41 fast upon the shaft 45. Extending between and pivoted in the opposed arms Al -41 of the lever is a cross pin 46, through which the wire link slidably extends being hooked above the cross-pin or threaded for the reception of an adjusting nut, as shown in FlguresZi-and 6. This arrangement will be seen to provide lost motion connection between the lever and link, permitting downward movement of the lever and cross-pin without affecting the link, while upon sufficient upward. movement of the lever it pulls'the link and so the pin 40 upwardly.

To lock the machine againstswinging movement about the horizontal shaft, the horizontal- 1y slidable detent pin 50 is provided, reciprocable .in slideways 5I54, the former formed in the standard 28 through the wall of the box 33 abutting the leg I9 of themachine; as shown in 'Fi'g-' ure' 2,;while' the latter. is formed in the cover.

plate of thecompartment33; for which purpose 'an inwardly opening hollow boss, is pro-.. vided uponthe cover plate; theaperture in which is deep enoughto house the compression spring- 54 behind-the pin. The spring of course tends to urge thepin, into the slot 52 in the leg when the 'machine is in upright position, .to.rigidly,,- so hold it. Thepin 50 extends across the interior. of the box 33, anda slot 51,is formed in its side inwhich engages a lever 58, which is also fast, upon the shaft 45 andformed with a cam-like;

end 59 engageable with the rear of the slot. It

will be seen that whenthe handle 44 is moved to the left (as viewed in Figure 2) the. lever 58 will be moved in the same direction, and its 1 upper extremity 59 will engage the rear surface of the slot 51 to force the pin 50 out of the locat ingslot 52 and so free the leg I9 -of the machine. The machine is of course then free to be swung} downwardly about ,the horizontallaxis tothe position in which it is shown in Figures 3 and,4. The handle may then be, moved in the opposite direction (to the right as viewedin Figure l) since the leg I 9 no longer interferes. This mpvement of thehandle of the positioningslot mits swinging the machine about the vertical shaft 29 to the completelyfolded away position shown'in dotted lines in Figure 4. It will be seen that by virtue of this arI'angemen'titQis' impossible to swing the machine so that it strikes 7 the handle lever 44 cannot be moved "toward the machine to re: lease the pin 40. untilthemachine has been folded lever raise's'the pin 40 out, 43 in the base 30, a'ridperf-J over so that itv will safely pass beneath the drain board or sink. I;

- While Ihave described my improved standard as utilized to support a particular type of machine in such manner that it may be folded beneath a sinkv and drainboard, it is to be understood that it is; easily adaptable to the'support of many and various otherdevices and objects, insuch manner fill the objects and advantages 'primarily'stated,

it is. to be understood that the invention is susceptible to variation, modification-and change within the spirit and scope of the subj oined claims.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a member desired to be supported, a foldable standard for so supporting the same that it may be swung beneath an elevated shelf or the like when desired, comprising a base, a sub-base carried thereby and swingable about both vertical and horizontal axes, means for locking the sub-base against undesired swinging movement, a latch controlling membermovable in one direction to release the sub-base for swinging movement about one axis, and movable in another direction to release the sub-base for swinging movement about another axis, said controlling member being arranged to be blocked against movement in one direction byv the supporting member until it has been swung in the other possible direction.

2; In combination with a member desired to be supported, a foldable standard for so supporting the same that it may be swung out of the way when not in use, comprising a base, a sub-base supported thereby and separately swingable about a plurality of axes, individually releasable means for locking the sub-base against undesired swinging movement about each axis, and a controlling member movable in one direction to release one such locking means and in another direction to release another, said controlling member being so disposed as to be blocked by the supported member against releasing movement to free the sub-base with respect to one axis of rotation except when it is in a desired position with respect to another.

3. In combination with a member desired to be supported, a foldable standard for so supporting the same that it may be swung out of the way when not in use, comprising a base, a sub-base supported thereby and separately swingable about substantially vertical and horizontal axes, detent means for preventing undesired rotative movement of the sub-base about the vertical axis, detent means for preventing undesired rotative movement of the sub-base about the horizontal axis, and a controlling member movable in one direction to release one such detent means and movable in another direction to release the other detent means, and means for preventing release of the swingable sub-base with respect to one axis by the controlling member when the supported member is in one position. I

4. In combination with a member desired to be supported, a foldable standard for so supporting the same that it may be swung out of the way when not in use, comprising a base, a sub-base supported thereby and separately swingable about substantially vertical and horizontal axes, means for preventing undesired swinging movement of the sub-base about the vertical axis, means for preventing undesired swinging movement of the sub-base about the horizontal axis, and a controlling lever pivoted 5. In a foldablesupporting standard, a'base,

a frame carried thereby and swingable about a substantially vertical axis, a sub-base carried by said frame and independently swingable about a substantially horizontal axis, and locking means substantially centered in an, extended plane common to both axes for locking both the frame and sub-base against swinging movement, including an operating handle for the locking means movable in one direction to release the sub-base for horizontally swinging movement and in another direction to, release said subbase for vertical swinging movement.

-6. In a foldable support, a base, a frame carried thereby and swingable about a substantially vertical axis, a sub-base carried by said frame and independently swingable about a substantially horizontal axis, and means arranged genorally in an extended plane passing through both axes for locking both the frame and sub-base against swinging movement.

7. In a foldable support, a base, a frame carried thereby and swingable about a substantially vertical axis, a sub-base carried by said frame and swingable about a substantially horizontal axis, a machine supporting member carried by said sub-base, and means including a pair of detent members each movable in a path substantially parallel to one of said axes for locking both the frame and sub-base against swinging movement, one detent being engageable with the frame and base, and another being engageable with the frame and machine supporting member, and means for retracting each detent.

GEORGE K. PARSONS. 

